Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare
by waltzalascherzo
Summary: (Prequel to A Promise Kept) Apparently the only nightmare worse than Emma Swan killing her was the horror of living with her. Swan Queen.
1. Chapter 1

**Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare**

**Summary: **(Prequel to A Promise Kept) Apparently the only nightmare worse than Emma Swan killing her was the horror of living with her. Swan Queen.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters contained here within. This is meant for entertainment purposes and is not used for profit.

**Author's Note: **This is the prequel to A Promise Kept, and will be written in conjunction with it. Names are used intentionally, like in APK. The tone of this story is lighter, to balance out APK, although there will be a fair deal of serious parts. Many things will eventually crop up in APK and the plot of this story will be integral to the relationships Regina develops in APK and its sequel, most notably hers with Emma. This story takes place during the events of 2.01 'Broken.'

* * *

Regina Mills was an orderly woman. She liked to keep things neat and organized, from her work to her home to even her diabolical schemes. Everything and everyone had its place in her mind.

For example: Snow—Mortal Enemy.

Filed under Eternal Loathing.

Simple things like that.

Once things had a place they were locked in, barring any unforeseen, tragic or untimely circumstances. Everything was perfectly classified until the very untimely, unforeseen and extremely tragic arrival of one Emma Swan.

That woman's file had been shuffled so many times, notes stacked, edges frayed that Regina was forced to let it all pile up unattended.

This simply would not do for her system.

So long had Emma Swan's file piled up that it was beginning to creep its way into Regina's daily life, her unconscious mind unable to process all the conflicting information. She had the most foreboding feeling that the more Swan's file integrated into her conscious mind, the more likely she was possibly doomed. At that point death would be preferable to a favourable opinion of Emma Swan, in any way, shape or form. Regina would keep denying this, telling herself that she was far too busy worrying about far more important things, like running the town and keeping Henry, to devote precious time and energy processing how she related to Emma Swan. Rightly so, she told herself, especially when Henry fell into a coma and everything else had to be shelved away.

Then her meticulously planned curse was broken and with it all she had held dear in the world without magic—Henry, power, control, all of it, gone with a simple kiss. Regina was on the cusp of facing an existential crisis but she couldn't even handle taking care of herself mentally when the town seemed hell-bent on wreaking their vengeance on her, a feeling she understood all too well.

Everyone except one Emma Swan.

Perhaps Henry put her up to it, Regina hoped beyond all which she was deserving of.

Sheriff Emma Swan had torn through Regina's very first lynch mob, demanding Whale unhand Regina (Regina loathed to give Swan points for timely arrivals but her suit _was_ becoming unfortunately crumpled.) Regina couldn't hold back her irritation as Charming came blazing in, hackles raised, full of reckless bravado and the very image of his daughter. When Snow came to stand beside her and speak on Regina's behalf she was surprised, to say the least. Her Mortal Enemy entry would have to undergo further consideration in the future. She supposed a few days of genuine care couldn't quite become undone no matter what pain travailed afterwards.

Regina couldn't think about that—wouldn't, couldn't, shouldn't.

Luckily, Regina only got thrown in jail instead of lynched. However, the thought that she was now sharing the same cell that not only Emma Swan but Snow White had occupied as well was a wretched parallel that she refused to give more thought to.

It was when the saccharine Charming family had departed and Gold hobbled out of the shadows like some sort of creeper that Regina felt the first twinge of fear. Somehow Gold had found her bargaining chip, Belle, and it turned out he wasn't all too pleased.

Not that Regina could blame him.

She could, however, blame him for being a spiteful creature that she learned far too well from. When he burned her fate onto her palm, Regina couldn't quite believe that her fear of death was so pronounced. Only in her nightmare of Emma killing her had she ever felt so frightened of dying. Regina surmised that her fear stemmed from her need to have Henry back, to convince herself that she wasn't as broken as she felt.

When Gold left, his righteousness etched into her palm, Regina should have started worrying about her life and trying to keep it. Tried to find a way out. Muster the strength of will to make magic work for her again. Anything.

Instead of thinking about her imminent demise and determining the likelihood of death by lynch mob to Wraith, Regina's mind determined that mental anguish would take precedence over survival and she simply passed out on her jail cot.

* * *

Regina was dimly aware of a gentle stroking of fingers in her hair and soft whispers, maybe even a comforting heat, but all of that was insignificant to the pounding in her head. All she could think about was a series of jackhammers strategically placed at key points on her skull, chiseling away at her will to live. They had also eroded her common sense enough that she leaned to the source of all that was immediately good. A familiar creak indicated she was lying on her bed, the mere thought comforting her and causing her to draw in a deep breath. The scent that flooded her nostrils was heavenly with a whiff of familiar.

So very familiar.

_Too _familiar.

Regina's eyelids opened as quickly as the spike in her heart rate. Her cheek registered the feel of leather. Her eyes processed red. Stomach rolling, eyes darting frantically, Regina began to hyper-ventilate.

To lesser mortals, it would appear as if Regina was merely snorting irritably instead of the physical breakdown it truly was.

Satisfied by a loud grunt of dismay as Regina's hands conveniently punched her tormentor in the diaphragm, Regina straightened imperiously, her favourite scowl locked in place. "It seems that you and that infernal jacket are nigh inseparable. The mere fact that you wear it to bed is appalling, Miss Swan."

Regina blamed the abhorrent implication of her and Swan sharing a bed on her headache. It certainly was no fault of her own that she was seemingly nonchalant about the notion. Jackhammers and all.

The bed was soft, curtains drawn, Swan spluttering, headache abating, one of these was not like the other. Regina scanned her location as critically as she could with one eye twitching furiously. It was her room, for all intents and purposes. Everything looked to be in place.

Except for the fact that Emma Swan was in it.

Regina scowled tremendously and made to get up and face down Swan properly— all the better for their classic showdowns that Regina derived no amusement from whatsoever— when her legs got caught. She realized she was partially tucked in under her covers and tore them off only to let out a shocked scream that had Emma gripping her shoulders frantically.

Regina shook Swan's hands off quickly and stood authoritatively, jabbing an accusing figure at Swan's face. "I demand to know what I've done to deserve this…this…_this_!" Regina pointed furiously at her pants, embarrassment at her complete loss for words combined with her utter despair bringing a bright flush to her cheeks.

Emma tilted her head quizzically as she glanced at Regina's legs. Regina fumed as Swan took her sweet time sweeping her form and lingering meaningfully with an eyebrow raised while Regina's body began to react in several unpleasing ways.

"Cool it with the battle stance, Regina," Swan finally says. Regina does not 'cool it'. "I don't get it. What did you do to deserve to be clothed?"

Swan's vapid mind clearly wouldn't cut it. "It seems, to my abject horror, mind you," Regina snarled as Swan's whole face spasmed in amusement, "that I am encased in those denim monstrosities you seem to revel in!"

Swan laughs violently, whether at Regina's outrage or apparent success at her scheme of humiliating Regina, Regina couldn't tell. Both were unacceptable.

Regina positioned her hands on her hips. "Does it amuse you to inflict indignities upon me?"

"What are you talking about," Swan manages to choke out. "You always wear jeans when we go out riding. Wait," Swan begins chuckling again. "Jeans…Regina…Re-jeans…" and she erupts into giggles this time.

_Giggles._

Regina gawps at Swan, aghast. Had this woman finally lost the last vestiges of her sanity? Regina didn't own a pair of jeans, let alone willingly trap herself in them. "If, by riding, I assume horseback," her voice raised enough to hopefully penetrate Swan's thick skull, "that is simply preposterous. There are riding leathers, pants, anything but jeans like some sort of, commoner," she grasps for a word Swan could possibly understand.

Unable to cope with Swan's vacuous stupidity, Regina put her palm to her face, dragging it slowly down in the hope that it would also wipe away this dreadful vision.

It did not.

Instead Regina felt something twist at her hand. She gazed down. She stared. She barely registered the sounds of Swan's raucous laughter dying down.

A garbled cry erupted from Regina's lips. Regina choked on the bile in her throat at the entrapment on her left hand- a gold band, designed like the roots of a tree, encapsulated a silver swan. A pulse of deep, warm and unfamiliar magic thrummed through it, the roots and feathers of the swan moving languidly in a soothing manner against her ring finger.

Regina jumped as she held her quivering hand aloft, directing the limb in Swan's direction. "What the _hell_ is this?"

Swan's face turned stone-cold serious instantly. "Regina," she said slowly, "what do you mean?"

"Do I have to spell everything out for you?" She hissed. "What is this ring? Why am I wearing it? What are you doing in my room?" A slew of questions bubbled in the forefront of her mind but Regina cut herself off, seeing Emma's face pale further at each question.

Regina stood in an uncomfortable silence and she tried not to be worried at the thought that Emma wasn't breathing.

"Henry!" Emma suddenly screamed and bolted out of the room in a blink of an eye.

Henry?

Regina felt her pulse quicken. What was he doing here? Did he want to come live with her again?

"Mom?"

Regina whirled around at the unfamiliar timbre and promptly felt her knees buckle at the sight before her. Henry, her Henry, stood before her, taller, older, with an unfamiliar but heart–breaking concern etched into his face.

"Henry," she managed to gasp as she collapsed onto the bed.

"Mom, what's wrong," he asked, immediately moving to sit next to her on the bed.

Staring at him for several moments, Regina slowly shook her head. "You're older."

In a manner far too reminiscent of Swan, Henry tilted his head to the side. "Mom, what's the matter? Everyone's worried about you." At Regina's puzzled look, he continued. "You know? When you fell all of a sudden?"

Regina shakily reached a hand to caress his face. To her utter astonishment, Henry let her. "I don't know what you're talking about, dear. The last thing I remember was lying in jail…and the next thing I knew I was here, in these," Regina gestured to the jeans and Henry laughed, a sound she had long since forgotten, "and then Miss Swan…"she growled.

"The jail!"

Henry and Regina both let out a surprised squeak as Emma flung herself through the doorway.

"Sheriff Swan!" Regina laid a hand over her chest, adrenaline pumping through her. "It is unbecoming for one who is sworn to uphold the law to eavesdrop," she scolded severely, Emma rolling her eyes.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," Swan fibbed easily and Regina and Henry shared a skeptical eye roll. "I was just wandering around outside."

"Really," Regina drawled, "I was hoping you'd wandered from the path of life."

Emma blithely ignored Regina's oblique aspersion. "You seem troubled." Swan promptly plopped down on the other side of Regina, firmly situated in Regina's very personal and private space.

Regina fixed Emma with her best withering glare.

Emma seemed immune.

Curses.

"I? Troubled?" Regina echoed incredulously. "The trouble with me is _you_, Miss Swan!"

That honestly perplexed look fit Emma well.

"I've no idea how you've managed to infiltrate my mind so that I'm trapped in this horrid nightmare or that this wretched body has such bizarre reactions to yours!" Regina raved on, oblivious to Henry's gagging noises and Swan's cheeky grin.

"Wait," Henry interrupted Regina's supremely effective glaring contest with Swan. "So the last thing you remember is being in jail?"

Completely shifting her demeanor, Regina turned to face her son. "Yes, dear. I fear I'm in this nightmare, sans you," she added quickly. "Perhaps if I just fall asleep I will be rid of this vision, or…"

"You're not gonna go stomping off in search of danger or anything. You die here, you die for real," Swan waggled a finger before bopping Regina's nose.

Regina's fury boiled to a nigh intolerable level. She knew it wouldn't do to eviscerate Swan in front of Henry so she allowed herself to merely be incensed into silence instead of spilling Swan's guts on her carpet.

"Yeah, mom, promise me you won't do that."

It was truly unfair that Henry had suddenly showered her with love and affection. If he hadn't, surely denying this request would have been easier, Regina told herself.

Henry scooted closer to her, so much so that their legs were touching. Swan unfortunately did the same.

"I know what's happening," he whispered quietly to Regina. Emma squawked indignantly about being left out of the loop so Regina discreetly elbowed her. "But don't worry, it won't be too long, only a few days," he said conspiratorially. Regina determined that she would have to speak to him without the annoying presence of Swan looming in the background. "You're in the future," he declared loudly.

"Wh– that's not possible," Regina spluttered.

"It is," Swan sing-songed gaily in Regina's ears. "You're here, you don't remember the past few years, that is all you need to know about time jumping," she said, obviously pleased with herself.

Regina crossed her arms. "Fancy yourself an expert on pure nonsense, Miss Swan? I could just have amnesia. Henry said that I fell."

"Effect of the time jump." Swan crossed her arms, a superior smirk stretching her face wide, Regina was sure, just to spite her.

"Impossible," Regina insisted.

"Mom, please," Henry sighed.

"…fine," Regina said at length. "I'll play along. Just for a few days," she shared a pointed glance with Henry who merely hissed in victory.

"Okay, I'll tell everyone to go on ahead!" He replied and bolted out the door.

Regina turned a blank look toward Swan, her unfortunate source of information. "Everyone?"

Swan nodded. Regina rolled her eyes and stared pointedly, waiting for Swan to elucidate further.

"The rest of the family."

A dim pounding began behind Regina's eyelids. "Family?"

Emma nodded. "Yup," she replied in a chipper affirmative and produced her left hand.

Regina felt herself go cross-eyed as she inspected the proffered limb. A shiny ring, identical to the inanimate monster perched upon her own hand, glinted in the light, mocking her. The implications of her "new life" began to saturate her mind.

Even in the face of the joyous fact that Henry lived with her and loved her again (if he ever truly did in the first place) the rest of the news soured Regina's mouth. Swan.

Swan.

That Swan.

With similar rings.

In her bedroom.

On _her_ bed.

This meant that 'everyone' downstairs would mean the rest of the Charming family.

Regina hoped that her dignity would find solace in the fact that she performed the very lady–like action of fainting only after being overwhelmed by such appalling information. All too late did she realize that Emma would probably catch her, like the Saviour she was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare**

Chapter Two

**Summary: **(Prequel to A Promise Kept) Apparently the only nightmare worse than Emma Swan killing her was the horror of living with her. Swan Queen.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters contained here within. This is meant for entertainment purposes and is not used for profit. I also do not own Dragon Age II or the quotes used within.

**Author's Note: **This is the prequel to A Promise Kept, and will be written in conjunction with it. Names are used intentionally, like in APK. The tone of this story is lighter, to balance out APK, although there will be a fair deal of serious parts. Many things will eventually crop up in APK and the plot of this story will be integral to the relationships Regina develops in APK and its sequel, most notably hers with Emma. This story takes place during the events of 2.01 'Broken.'

**Chapter Note:** Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and alerts! They mean so much to me, as is your continued support! I love to read your thoughts. This was released at the same time as Chapter Two of _A Promise Kept_ which officially started to include allusions to this story. This story will be moving at a faster pace than APK and will likely be finished before it. Please enjoy!

* * *

Oh, it was all just a dreadful nightmare, Regina thought to herself as she groggily came to.

"Hey, Regina, you alright? You scared me with another fit of passing out into my arms."

Regina grumbled stonily in Emma's general direction as she propped herself upright on the bed once more, shaking a fist at Emma in the universal gesture of 'back off.' "I can assure you I did no such thing on purpose," she replied scathingly. Swan merely made herself comfortable by leaning back against the bedpost.

Smirking that insufferable smirk.

Regina stood promptly, valiantly keeping her footing despite the massive amount of wobbling the action caused. She stalked over to her walk-in closet. She was damned if she was going to spend another minute in such common clothing.

"Whatcha doin'?" Swan's voice was only slightly muffled even though Regina was several feet deep in the closet.

"I am changing out of this thing," Regina politely balled up the jeans and tossed them haphazardly out of the closet. "I should take a long, cleansing shower, but it would appear Henry is expecting my presence soon. This was most embarrassing…"she shuddered. "I believe the shame will haunt me forever."

"Jeez, Regina, casual clothes aren't that bad." Regina could detect the eye roll present in Swan's voice despite not being able to see Swan herself. "This you wears jeans all the time."

Regina tromped over to the closet's opening after slipping into far more sensible ensemble. "Lies, Miss Swan."

At Swan's challenging look, Regina gestured to the closet behind her. "Upon minimal inspection I see no additional pairs of jeans." When Emma continued to stare at her, Regina amended, "at least not in my size."

Apparently that was enough to appease Swan for she burst into a triumphant grin and put her arms behind her head. "This is kinda fun."

Regina huffed. "I'm glad my anguish amuses you so."

Emma laughed. "Getting you to fall in love with me again."

"I _beg_ your pardon," Regina gawped. "I refuse to believe that _you_ got _me_ to be so…besotted with you."

Rolling her eyes, Emma shook her head. "Yes. Obviously your cursed powers of effortless seduction wooed me into subservience, all for the purpose of furthering your giant ruse of getting Henry back."

That sounded like a brilliant plan, Regina admitted to herself.

"But untrue." Emma smirked like she was privy to Regina's thoughts. The mere idea of the level of intimacy needed for such a feat curled in Regina's belly, making it cramp painfully. "It was all of this," she continued and gestured to her body, like she was some sort of prize.

"Mmmhhhmm," Regina scoffed.

Emma grinned cheekily. "I'm pretty irresistible. People gaze upon me and then things happen." Regina let a loud guffaw at that whopper. "Hearts skip and everything. Beat harder than normal."

Regina stood impassively in the doorway, all haughty independence and steely glares. "Indeed, Miss Swan," she drawled. "My heart is beating. My basic survival is surely testament to your excellent, superior charm."

"And sterling moral fibre," Swan pointed out helpfully. "Since I keep saving you and all."

Shaking her head Regina strode forward in an effort to put an end to all of Swan's boasting. "Now let us go downstairs to Henry, for whatever reason he needs us to be down there for."

Sitting up, Swan grabbed her keys from the nightstand (_Regina's_ nightstand.) "Yeah, everyone should be there by now."

Regina stilled. "Where?"

"Granny's."

Regina peered at Swan as if she were touched in the head. "I do not condone this. I could be hissed at and shunned for going to a public place. Why should I go through the public humiliation of subjecting myself to people I despise? Ah, yes, of course," she steamrolled over Emma's objections, "I forgot that your love for me makes me impervious to the inevitable pitchfork tussle and subsequent roasting."

Regina did not just admit to Emma Swan loving her. It wasn't like she loved her back; after all, it was just a plain, simple fact that meant absolutely nothing.

Emma gazed at Regina for a long moment before smiling beatifically and said "Yup."

Regina scowled as that smile unleashed a monster inside her chest. It crept up on her and clawed at her heart like it was some sort of a feeling. Feelings that were trying to make their way into a place where there was supposed to be a void, where things didn't happen because she knew better than to let them run rampant. A tiny spark of a flame, threatening to burst into wildfire, burning everything it touched.

It occurred to her that she used fire magic far too often and made a mental note to learn ice or thunder spells.

"An unexpected bounty, to be sure," Regina huffed and breezed past Swan to descend the stairs.

Henry was tapping his foot impatiently. "Really, Mom, don't dawdle," he scolded Swan and Regina in one fell swoop. Regina felt herself swell with pride at his condescending tone. Such a natural he was.

"Blame your mom, kid, she's the one that felt all frumpy or something," Swan drawled as they exited the mansion.

Regina spared her a disgusted glance.

"I told Gramps and Grandma to go on ahead and let everyone know what's happening," Henry said, falling into step between Regina and Swan, likely to circumvent an inevitable quarrel.

Grimacing, Regina resigned herself to yet another hardship of this dreadful nightmare. "And just where are we going and for what purpose?"

"Pushy," Swan replied, and, with a low undertone, "I like it."

"Swan," Regina intoned direly.

"Granny's for your birthday dinner," Henry piped up from between them.

Regina stopped. "My birthday?" She looked around and saw the weather was warm and cheerful, the sunset casting a lovely glow across the horizon. "How would you know when my birthday is? It would occur in February in this world."

Henry and Emma looked at each other in bewilderment. "But we've always celebrated your birthday at this time! Why haven't you told us when your real one was?" Swan demanded hotly.

Flipping her hair, Regina turned and presumed walking to Granny's. "Well, dear, I obviously lied."

"I cannot believe you'd lie to us for so long about something this important!" Swan flew to Regina's side and started flailing in agitation. Regina leveled her with a look.

"Nevermind," Swan muttered.

"I guess this means that the rescheduling worked out for the best," Henry valiantly attempted to smooth things over. My little politician, regina fondly thought. "But that doesn't mean that you get out of playing paintball tomorrow," he waggled a finger at Regina.

"What?" Regina exclaimed. "You want me to shoot paint like some sort of vagrant?" She sincerely hoped her disapproval was apparent.

"Hey, this you is good at it. I'm sure you'll remember how to do it, like riding a bike," Swan assuaged Regina's protests.

Shaking her head, Regina says "I am often flummoxed by you." Emma only takes this as some sort of compliment.

"Aw, c'mon Regina, it'll be fun!" Emma and Henry both wore matching pleading expressions.

"Let's see. How could I possibly find the idea of getting sweaty and pelted with globs of paint not fun? Perish the thought!" Regina proclaimed and placed a hand over her heart in mock indignation.

"Exactly!" That blasé attitude of Swan's was truly beginning to grate on Regina's nerves. The blasted woman had the sense to behave like that in front of Henry and then wait while Regina stewed into reluctant acceptance before being alone with her.

Whenever had Swan gotten such a surreptitious nature?

"No worries, you can take a few practice shots before we start," Swan wheedled as they finally approached the diner.

Regina sighed in defeat as Swan held open the door and Henry went in. Regina moved to go in before she felt Emma slide a hand to the small of her back. A strange jolt went through her, almost like a preclude to using magic. It felt eerily like the beast that had found purchase on her hand, trying to minimize its threat by taking the form of a ring.

Regina moved quickly in hopes of breaking free of Swan's hold but the woman merely gripped the fabric of Regina's blouse tightly like a rope.

This displeased Regina greatly.

"Do you intend on accompanying me to the bathroom?" Regina demanded as Swan tried to bring her closer, an exercise in unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. It resulted in them bouncing back and forth in an epic power struggle.

"Only if you ask nicely," Swan answered between gritted teeth.

"Yield!" Regina attempted to stomp on Swan's foot but she anticipated the move and hooked her leg around Regina's. This caused Regina to lose her balance completely and fall entirely into Swan's arms, a pattern that seemed to happen far too often for Regina's liking.

"Get a room, you two," a chiding voice teased.

Regina looked to her left to see Henry sitting in a booth opposite Snow and Charming. She noticed in her sweep of the area that the diner was packed and there were shreds of paper hanging from the ceiling. A raucous clatter coming from the kitchen was followed with familiar curses uttered by Ruby.

"It's not my fault," Emma instantly tried to shift the blame from her but Regina would have none of that. She wriggled her body in Swan's arms to no avail.

"Don't you dare try to pin this on me, Swan!" Regina scowled.

Emma puffs as Regina lands an elbow to her stomach but doesn't relent her hold on Regina. "It's not my fault that you do your crazy time–jump thingy now when I'm all used to doing things with you."

"Miss Swan!" Regina gasps at the impropriety and finds purchase on Swan's body with her hands to shove her away, Swan's face going red. Regina refused to think about exactly where she shoved in order to garner such a reaction.

"There's no need to traumatize me further and think of Henry!" Hissing tightly, Regina waved at Henry and included Snow and Charming who were likely green in the face themselves.

"Regina, he's a teenager," Swan coughs.

Feeling woozy once more, Regina places a hand to the edge of the booth to steady herself. "I must use the washroom," she declared and tromped off towards the restroom and blatantly ignored Swan's mumbles.

It was probably for the best, she assured herself as she splashed water on her face. Looking up from the sink to the mirror, Regina squinted as she took a good look at herself. She did look slightly older, so perhaps this time–traveling theory Henry and Swan shared might deserve a little credence. The strange magic she could now feel coursing within her was another anomaly she couldn't quite place. Hopefully she would get a chance to have a word with Henry later, as he implied to have some sort of insider knowledge as to her current situation.

"Regina?"

Whirling around, Regina came face-to-face with a frighteningly pale Belle. "Are you alright dear?" Regina asked before she could stop herself.

Belle smiled before moving to wash her hands next to Regina. Regina quickly took in her figure, a pale yellow dress gently outlined her lithe frame, reddish-brown locks framing her shoulders. She looked healthy, perhaps she was suffering from a viral ailment, Regina mused before recollecting that Belle should have still been locked up in the hospital. An unexpected wave of guilt washed over her.

"Yes, thank you," Belle's reply brought Regina's thoughts to a halt. "Just a little under the weather," she assured and stared at Regina for a few moments. "Snow told us that today's the day." Regina rolled her eyes—apparently she was the only one left out of the loop. "I'll see you soon," Belle's tinkling laughter rang in Regina's ears as she placed a kiss to Regina's cheek and made her way out of the bathroom.

What.

The.

Hell.

Had happened.

Regina stormed out of the restroom and headed straight for the Charming booth. Even thinking that brought an unpleasant taste to Regina's mouth. She halted momentarily. Alas, Regina said to herself, looking upon the little group. A cornucopia of love.

"Regina!" Emma twisted around in her seat opposite Henry and waved exuberantly. As if Regina couldn't spot her a mile away.

Which she couldn't, despite the outlandish curls of Swan's hair sticking out like a sore thumb in the bleakness of the world.

Regina strode over to the booth and gingerly sat next to Henry who seemed content to have them be close enough to be physically touching. While Regina was invigorated by the affection, the fact that Swan planted herself opposite her filled her with a deep foreboding.

Smiling wanly at Henry, Regina felt it drop as she beheld Snow and David. They both had aged, with Snow's hair only slightly longer than she had it as Mary Margaret. David was already grinning broadly at her and when she turned, they reflected their happiness onto Regina.

Regina practically gagged on the cheerfulness.

"I was assaulted in the washroom," she declared without hesitation and was surprised to see her tablemates become agitated, Swan in particular grousing about her duty as a public servant as she made to get up.

"Sit down, Sheriff," Regina ordered and Emma instantly plopped back down. "Not in a violent way," she added and was pleased to see a jealous scowl take place on Emma's face. "What has happened so that people approach me and kiss me as if we're…old chums?" Regina asked amidst a few quiet chuckles.

"You are 'old chums' with some people here," Snow said.

"What has happened? Tell me." Regina demanded of Snow who looked ready to reveal all before Emma threw a hand in front of her.

"No! Nobody can know too much about their future," Swan says vehemently, knocking over a bottle of ketchup in her haste. Snow picks the bottle up as David redirects Emma's arm away from other hazards. It was like some sort of Charming assembly line and Regina had to bite back a laugh.

"And why not," Regina asked.

Emma grinned foolishly. "It could rend apart the space time continuum!" Laughter sprang from her lips at her own cleverness.

"Heya!" Ruby appeared suddenly at Regina's side, startling her into Henry. "Didn't mean to scare you Regina, sorry," she apologized before setting beverages and plates in front of everyone.

Regina glanced warily at the milkshake and burger placed before her.

"You lost a bet," Henry murmured from her side. "It's why you were wearing jeans."

"I knew it," Regina seethed. It was likely Swan's fault. "Miss Swan, what else should I know about…" she was cut off by the gruesome sight of Swan ravaging her grilled cheese.

"'Nuff questions, Regina, let's eat."

Or at least that's what Regina gathered Swan said. She would have corrected Emma, but she decided that decorum was often wasted on the golden-haired ruffian. As Regina sat silently fuming, she observed the barely disguised murmurs around her. Instead of glaring back or passively looking away when Regina honed in on them, the occupants of the diner only waved back gaily or smiled into the heel of their hands. This pleased Regina little. There was far too much happiness for a world that was supposed to be without happy endings.

Seemed suspiciously like a happy ending to Regina.

Warily eying Swan who was intent on roping Regina into playing footsie, Regina reached for her milkshake.

"Would you cut that out!" Regina said around her straw, giving Swan a solid slam to the shin.

"Jeez, Regina, you don't have to be so rough!" For that Swan earned another kick. Regina hoped she fractured a bone.

"So, Regina, Henry told us that you remember up until the Wraith attack."

"Huh?" Regina blamed her lack of an intelligent response on Swan's miraculous recovery of her leg beatings by rubbing the limb up and down Regina's. It was most distracting.

"The jail cell," Snow immediately chipped in, after a look with David.

"Yes," Regina replied and found that it wasn't hard to converse with this Snow, who seemed to be frank and honest with Regina, almost as if she truly cared.

Nonsense, Regina told herself.

"At least she remembers me swooping in and saving her," Emma boasts through her mouthful of grilled cheese. Regina's disgusted look at the devastation spilling from outside the corners of Emma's mouth was unmatched.

"Hey, I was the one who pulled Whale off her," David leaned forward in an attempt to one-up Emma. Regina and Snow gave a synchronized eye roll. "Besides, Emma, swooping is bad, didn't you know that?"

Henry bit back a snort in order to preserve the gulp of milkshake he just consumed.

"Really," Swan drawled, an annoying string of cheese sticking to her chin. Regina's fingers twitched with an ache to wipe it.

"Always say 'heroic charging'. It's much more gallant."

"And what do you call beating people and looting their stuff?" Emma inquired.

"Adventuring!" Snow piped up, earning her a tableful of giggles which Regina certainly did not partake in. That smothered smile was merely a reaction to the degradation of Saintly Snow.

"Burglary and espionage are also your areas of expertise, dear," Regina added.

Emma leveled a look at Regina. "You seem especially broody, Regina."

Did she not just speak? "Does it bother you?" Regina asked instead, perplexed as to the reason behind the family's continued laughter.

"Nah," Emma drew out, resting her head in the palm of her right hand. How she didn't feel that magnificently grandiose piece of cheese plastered over her face was beyond Regina. "I kinda like it. But maybe you could add some cold insolence to it?"

Regina scooted back in her seat and scowled. "Really, Miss Swan?"

"Ooh! And smoldering too! Just for me!? Regina, you shouldn't have, even though I asked," Swan gushed.

"What?" Regina echoed incredulously. "How could I be smoldering and have cold insolence at the same time? They don't go together."

"Oh, shush," Swan dismissively waved a hand. "Don't distract me with your logic." And she continued to stare at Regina in a most inappropriate fashion, to the great amusement of the table.

"More hilarity at my expense?" Regina demanded before snapping completely. "Honestly, Miss Swan, do take care in your table manners!" With that she reached across the table and took Emma firmly by the jaw and wiped away the cheese from her chin. Swan chomped after Regina's hand, trying to reclaim her lost cheese, but Regina lightly backhanded her away.

"Mom, they were quotes from a game we play, Dragon Age 2," Henry explained, his face open and jovial.

"What, so I remembered some lines from a game?" Regina was so distracted by this information that she was forced to endure Emma snatching her hand and obtaining the lost cheese. Her victory lick against Regina's thumb when she reclaimed her prize was most unpleasant.

"What are you thinking about Regina?" Snow asked, apparently used to the spectacle her daughter tended to make of herself.

"I close my eyes and wonder what fresh hell awaits me." Regina declared.

Snow smiled, and a genuine answering one lifted Regina's lips.

* * *

Several hours later found Regina lounging on the end of her couch, Henry nestling into her side. Upon returning from the diner, he had insisted they watch a film together before bed. Naturally, Regina could deny him nothing and was subjected to the epic film _The Avengers_. It was filled to the brim with the super-heroes Henry had often lauded in his earlier youth and she was pleasantly surprised to find that she derived enjoyment from it as well.

Until the sound of Swan's laughter shattered her lovely illusion.

In an effort to distance herself from the strangely needy woman, Regina had thrown herself into the end of her couch and yanked Henry next to her before Swan could get the idea in her head that the spot was meant for her. It was no small miracle that Swan had produced popcorn without burning the house down and she kept throwing pieces at Regina intermittently, just to stake her claim or remind Regina to pay attention to her or some other crazy Swan logic she had floating in that empty head of hers.

Regina couldn't fathom why Swan couldn't understand that a film was for watching, not for indulging in pointless games.

Swan's chuckles had died down and Regina had hoped that would be the end of her ceaseless interruptions. Several peaceful minutes passed in relative silence and Regina felt herself relaxing. So subdued was she that she barely noticed a hesitant touch to the back of her neck. The touch traveled up to the nape of her neck and then interwove into her hair and began a soothing rhythm of scratching and reverent caresses.

Regina couldn't bring herself to care.

* * *

"Regina," a soft voice broke through Regina's head and she stirred slowly.

Emma's face was peering down at her. Regina shook her head to clear away the cobwebs and she noticed that Henry had also passed out during the film and had curled more fully into her side.

"We'd best bring him to bed," Regina whispered, her hand making its way to outline Henry's face.

When Emma didn't answer, Regina looked back at her and felt her heart make an uncomfortable leap. Blinking suddenly, Emma moved to gently cradle Henry in her arms and turned to make her way up the stairs, Regina following closely.

Leaning against the doorjamb, Regina felt…content. Swan delicately placed Henry upon his bed and wrapped a blanket around him before kissing his forehead. She smiled at Regina as she made her way outside of the room. Regina closed the door gently behind her.

"Man, I'm wiped!" Swan declared as she made her way to Regina's room.

Screwing up her face, Regina made her way into the bedroom. "And just what do you think you're doing?"

Emma poked her head out from the ensuite bathroom. "Getting ready for bed?" She asked curiously.

"Not with me," Regina solemnly said. Emma continued to stare at her. "What?" Regina relented.

"I can't sleep without you," Emma admitted.

Regina was taken aback. Her body erupted into goosebumps at every thought she refused to give credence to. "You've slept without me for years," she half-heartedly said.

Coming entirely out of the bathroom, Swan was dressed in a pair of red checkered flannel pants and a silken nightshirt that looked suspiciously like one of Regina's. "I just want to be near you," she said softly and went to the bed and grabbed a pillow and blanket.

"_I will never leave you."_

Regina grunted as Emma's voice echoed in her head, a bout of pain accompanying it. Emma looked at her searchingly, concern etched into her features.

"Memories?" Emma asked.

Regina shrugged. "It's passed," she said and hoped that Emma would understand.

A few moments passed and Emma nodded. It would seem that this Emma knew Regina quite well, and it scared her. Emma shuffled awkwardly before moving right up in Regina's face. Regina flinched and witnessed the hurt that flashed across Emma's face.

"Good night, Regina," Emma spoke and the whisper was a hot and gentle caress against her cheek. Emma kissed her cheek tenderly and lingered for several moments and exited the bedroom.

Regina stood still, hand ghosting her cheek for nearly hour after Emma had left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare**

Chapter Three

**Summary: **(Prequel to A Promise Kept) Apparently the only nightmare worse than Emma Swan killing her was the horror of living with her. Swan Queen.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters contained here within. This is meant for entertainment purposes and is not used for profit. I also do not own any of the many references in this story. This includes Dragon Age, Fawlty Towers, Those Gilded Chains We Wear and Calamity Jane meets Dr. Isles, Medicine Woman. Go, read the last two. They're long but amazing.

**Author's Note: **This is the prequel to A Promise Kept, and will be written in conjunction with it. Names are used intentionally, like in APK. The tone of this story is lighter, to balance out APK, although there will be a fair deal of serious parts. Many things will eventually crop up in APK and the plot of this story will be integral to the relationships Regina develops in APK and its sequel, most notably hers with Emma. This story takes place during the events of 2.01 'Broken.'

**Chapter Note:** Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and alerts! They mean so much to me, as is your continued support! I love to read your thoughts. This was released at the same time as Chapter Three of _A Promise Kept_ which includes heavy allusions to this story. This chapter just wouldn't end, so hopefully you enjoy the mighty length of it. There will be one chapter left. Please enjoy!

* * *

There was no explaining otherwise: Regina was cursed.

How else would she be able to explain how a kiss (to the cheek, no less) from one of the most reviled creatures ever to exist cause Regina to lay awake all night, the thought plaguing her like an incessant annoying fly that needed to be swatted?

Never mind that all of her previous deeds would warrant massive suffering. This was beyond torture for Regina. To be forced to deal with Emma Swan was bad enough but now she couldn't leave, thanks to Henry undergoing puberty and who knows what else and giving her all the love she had ever wanted from him.

For Regina to learn that some of her most hated foes had took her hand while they played the game of forgive and forget was one of the most difficult things to swallow. Regina honestly didn't care how _they_ had done it; how _she_ had moved past all the transgressions was nothing short of a miracle.

A miracle which would be short–lived if the blaring smoke detector had anything to do with it.

Regina scrunched her puffy eyes shut with massive effort. _Swan_. The blasted woman was burning down her house, starting with her prized kitchen. The fiend probably got some romantic, whimsical notion in her head that she could prepare food for Regina and Henry. While it may have been perceived as a sign of devotion from others, from Emma Swan it was akin to a pre–meditated murder/suicide.

This was intolerable.

Regina flipped off her comforter and nearly raced to the kitchen before remembering herself and going back to her room to cover herself with a thick robe. It was a necessary decision, but, combined with the white–hot rage boiling in her blood, Regina was nearly sweating bullets by the time she made it to the kitchen.

Swan was whipping a dishcloth at a frying pan on the stove–top, Henry lazily hauling the fire extinguisher to her side. He extinguished the fearsome flame within moments while Swan coughed violently and took to swirling the dishcloth in front of her face to help dissipate the smoke.

"Kid!" Emma moaned. "Your mom's gonna kill me and dance on my remains!"

Regina did not dance, so the idea was preposterous. Her snort at the ludicrous suggestion caused Emma to twirl around in shock and lose her balance, causing her to fall against the stove. By using a hand to steady herself she inadvertently pressed it against the hot stove–top and drew her hand back with a painful hiss and roguish curse.

"What did you do that for?" Regina demanded as she hurried to Emma's side and attempted to yank Emma's injured hand forward for inspection.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Emma protested hotly and shied away from Regina's touch. Regina noticed heavy dark circles under Emma's eyes and had a sinking suspicion hers were the same.

"I'll get the first–aid kit," Henry interjected and went to a nearby cover and opened it to produce an extravagant healing kit.

Regina paused in her tug–of–war with Swan to gawp at the mighty beast. "That's _enormous_," she choked out. "Why in the world did we upgrade to such a size?"

Henry looked expectantly at Emma who grumbled something incoherent under her breath. Regina shook her head. It was so obvious she had missed it, like jamais vu.

"Give it to me," Regina roughly bit out at Swan.

Emma turned her expressive puppy eyes to Regina.

Regina refused to be swayed.

Nevertheless she gently took Emma's proffered limb and fussed over it for a few moments before deciding that the burn wasn't as bad as Emma made it out to be. She toiled over applying the proper amount of aloe on the wound, tightening her lips together as she felt Emma's eyes boring into her face.

"Perhaps it would be best to leave the cooking to me," Regina stiffly said, hoping to break the tension.

"Why are you wearing that heavy robe? You're all flushed," Swan swiftly ignored the reasonable suggestion. Typical.

It was a grueling task to deal with Emma, Regina growled to herself. She brought her eyes up to meet Emma's and was unable to discern the look in them. It was in the lackadaisical fashion she so typically adorned but there was something deeper peeking at the edges, a most uncomfortable stirring in the monster ring Regina wore answering the look.

"Ah, I get it, you're shy," Swan effortlessly switched to smug. "There's no need for you to suffer like that. It's not like it's anything I haven't seen before."

"Gross!" Henry called out Swan and Regina was reminded that he was the crown jewel of her existence. Scolding Swan for her impropriety and cleaning up her mess, why, it restored her dignity enough that she was able to remove the sweltering robe and look down her nose at Swan once more.

"Do take care not to flail yourself into danger next time, Miss Swan." To her credit, Regina managed not to look too concerned. She was a brilliant actress, after all.

"Yeah, yeah," Swan flexed her hand several times before helping Regina clean up the admittedly small clutter from dressing her wound. "Thanks," she muttered softly and laid a reverent kiss behind Regina's jaw as she returned the kit to the cupboard.

Disgraceful. Regina clenched her jaw together and rose abruptly to join Henry at the now–clean stove. "What would you like for breakfast, dear? Waffles, perhaps? Bacon? Eggs? Toast?" She rapidly listed some of Henry's favourite breakfast foods as Swan moved closely behind her to peer over her shoulder to inspect Henry's fastidious cleaning job.

"Nice job," Emma praised and gave Henry a little condescending pat to the head before he swatted her hand away. She pressed herself tighter to Regina's back.

"We'll be late for paintball if you make all that, Mom," Henry reluctantly admitted.

Regina reached for the spatula on the counter. "Not if I use magic," she stated and felt the necessary energy begin to well up in her fingers, much faster than it ever did before.

"Wait!" Henry pushed Regina's hand down. She glanced quizzically at him. "You don't use magic unless it's to help people."

Regina gawped. So she _did_ have magic and what she felt wasn't some sort of crazy Wraith–induced mumbo jumbo. She had been worried that the magic she felt was just an illusion but it was indeed a powerful force, she mused as it raced throughout her body. Her magic had never felt this strong before and it worried her slightly when Emma wrapped her arms around Regina's middle.

"Can't we make an exception, Henry? I'm so hungry," Emma slurred.

Classy.

Henry barked out a short laugh. "Yeah, of course, I just wanted to let mom know about her promise."

Promise? Regina lowered the spatula. Henry's form blurred to reveal a younger version of him, looking happily up at Regina.

Emma squeezed her arms tighter around Regina.

"Is that so?" Regina asked as she conjured up breakfast, not pausing to feel the pride she usually did when using magic.

Emma and Henry exchanged cries of joy at the meal and Regina's ego swelled a bit.

"Yeah, you haven't made it yet," Henry said as he went to grab some plates and cutlery.

"Your magic has certainly come in, handy," Swan snickered.

Regina smacked Swan on her uninjured hand. "Of course it does," she declared pompously.

Emma merely blew air into Regina's ear before removing herself to assist Henry. Regina felt a little empty inside which she quickly covered up by grabbing the plates of food and bringing them to the table.

"Thanks!" Emma chirped as Regina dished out her portion. Emma stared at it in disbelief before offering it back to Regina.

"What?" That was a sensible portion.

"That's it?" Swan whined.

"Ugh, gluttony is not a virtue," Regina doled out another helping of bacon onto the plate.

"Don't go bacon my heart," Emma victoriously jerked her plate back like a coveted jewel.

"Honestly," Regina primly said and served Henry his equally large plate which he graciously dug into in a manner somewhere between Regina's and Emma's eating habits.

"Hey, how come he didn't have to beg?" Emma grumped between shoveling bits and pieces into her mouth.

Like a pig at a trough, Regina derisively snorted. "Henry is a growing boy and needs extra nutrition. You," Regina stopped herself from admiring Emma's figure. "Well, let's just say you don't need the extra temptation."

Outraged, Emma looked down at her body and back up to point a fork at Regina. "I recall you're quite fond of my temptations."

"Geez, I'm trying to eat here," Henry gagged. Regina choked similarly on her spoonful of eggs. She politely rammed her foot into Swan's shin, hoping that the limb was furthered bruised, considering the onslaught it amassed the day before.

"Do behave yourself. Your sophomoric humour and lewd suggestions are damaging to our son's well–being," Regina rebuked. Henry and Emma only smiled brightly in response.

While the only noise generated in the next few minutes were the sounds of the silverware clattering against the plate and the atrocious sounds made by Swan snarfing down her food, Regina found the ambient atmosphere relaxing.

Regina approved.

"Mmkay, it's time to get ready," Emma announced as she got up out of her chair and went to clean her plate in the sink.

"How long did it take me to teach you that?" Regina gasped.

Emma threw a scathing look over her shoulder.

Henry poked Regina's arm and she leaned to meet him half–way. "A couple weeks," he hushed. Regina shared a smirk with him.

"While your cooking skills leave much to be desired, your hostess skills are worthy of praise," Regina tried to keep a straight face as she sipped her orange juice. She brought her own plate to the sink and prepared to chew out Swan some more when the woman reached over and pinched her derriere.

"Emma!" Regina recoiled from the reprehensible act.

Emma's expression lifted. "Yeah?"

Regina fumbled with words for a few moments. "I can finish up here if you'd care to go get yourself ready for…paintball," she felt a bit of her soul wither away at the thought of torture she would soon be willingly subjecting herself to.

Swan must have sensed Regina's despair. "Okay," she said and brushed past Regina to presumably get herself cleaned up. Regina knew how sensual a touch could be but she still managed to be slightly off–guard when Emma did it.

"Maybe you can be a little nicer to Mom," Henry appeared at Regina's side and placed his own plate in the sink. He obviously didn't inherit Swan's slow–wittedness adherence to protocol and decorum.

Regina extolled her son's virtues for several moments. "If you insist, dear," she offered. Henry glared at her in response. "Fine, Henry, I shall endeavour to treat Miss Swan with the utmost care and sincerity. I shall laud her actions to the heavens and be sure to tell Snow and David what a lovely daughter they spawned," she snapped.

Henry folded his arms and didn't relent on his cross expression. "Mom, I know you're confused by the time–jump but you've got to try and be a little more understanding. In this time you and Emma love each other and she's really hurt by your actions," he reamed Regina with such aplomb she was torn between feeling sorry and praising him.

She decided Henry would rather see her humility.

"Okay, Henry, I'll try. I must admit that this…version of my body seems quite hospitable to Miss Swan's administrations," she tried to remain vigilant. Regina herself didn't like what Emma said or did, just the body. Nothing was wrong with that.

"Have you remembered anything?" At Regina's confused expression, Henry struggled to find another way of explaining. "Like, have you experienced visions of things that haven't happened to _you_?"

Regina felt alarmed. "Is there something you're not telling me, Henry?"

Henry's uneasy expressions told her enough. "You said that I'd only be here for a few days, Henry, please tell me what's going on."

"Well, you didn't tell me much," Henry began. "Apparently you guessed that you spent only a couple days in this time but you didn't share too many details with me. You only mentioned a few things about our family." Regina sensed Henry wasn't being completely honest with her.

"Like what," she pressed.

"Mom, please, you asked me not to tell you much," Henry pleaded and the look in his eyes melted the hardness Regina felt forming in her heart. "It's just that your days here helped a lot to make you into the person you are now. It helped you and us to, work together," Henry said. "Helped us love each other," he said softly and Regina felt her eyes well up.

Henry looked to the side awkwardly for a moment before closing the distance and wrapping Regina into a tight hug. Regina had never experienced a warmth of this sort from Henry and it floored her.

* * *

Regina made her way up the stairs, body still tingling from the affection Henry had shown her. When he had hugged her Regina felt her magic begin to rear again, similar to when Emma had hugged her prior. This was a frightening parallel to Regina. She knew she loved Henry and judging by how her magic had activated, and in such bountiful amounts, it would appear that she loved Emma, too.

How did this happen?

Regina refused to think further about the notion as she cautiously peered into her room. Emma was pacing by the foot of the bed but looked up expectantly at Regina's arrival.

"Hey."

Regina nodded. Emma did her trademark head–tilt and Regina edged closer to the bed. There were clothes laid out on the bed, not as neatly as Regina would have done it, but there was care evident in the way they were placed. It was a thoughtful gesture and Regina found herself smiling at the thought of it.

"No jeans," Emma pointed out helpfully. Regina noted with a hint of surprise that Emma was sporting jeans herself and a rather nice turquoise blouse that accented the blue–green of her eyes. Obviously Regina must have picked it out for her. It would be hard to get such a matching hue unless one looked deeply into Emma's eyes to see how the two colours meshed interchangeably. The clothes Emma had brought out for Regina were a sensible pair of casual slacks and a deep–red blouse that Regina had always looked stunning in.

As if she wouldn't.

"I see that." At Emma's hopeful expression, Regina scooted closer. "Thank you."

Emma's answering beam of a smile clued Regina in on who exactly must have been behind Henry's love of lasers.

"Oh!" Emma exclaimed after a few awkward moments and turned her back to Regina. "So, um, my parents are bringing our jackets and the equipment so you don't have to worry about getting your clothes filthy."

Regina began to swiftly dress herself but paused at Emma's words. "What about our pants? And won't the jackets be cumbersome? We'll get hot and dirty," she frowned.

Emma cleared her throat and bounced on her feet. "Well, yeah, it always gets sweaty and gross. That's why I picked out those," she gestured toward the bed.

Regina clucked disapprovingly. "I have no intention of sullying these garments with paint. I suppose I'll have to subject myself to the… less than savory alternative." Steeling herself, Regina took a breath to fill herself with the assurance she would surely need to get through this debacle. She started unbuttoning her blouse and used a hand to move Emma out of her way to the closet.

She was Regina Mills.

She could do this.

Regina bit back a whimper as her trembling fingers grasped at the pair of jeans she had woken up in this dreadful nightmare wearing.

"Take note of this, Miss Swan," Regina shakily pulled the zipper shut on the snugly fitted pants. She jiggled her legs momentarily to get used to the feeling of the creature against her legs. Grabbing a shirt she reserved for yoga, she began pulling it over her head as she exited the closet. "…for this shall be the only time I willingly commit such a heinous act."

Regina dropped her hands as the end of her shirt brushed the top of her jeans. Emma's jaw was trembling. "What's the matter?" Huffing impatiently she strode over to Emma and began undoing the buttons on her blouse unthinkingly.

"Regina," Emma gasped out and the sound caused Regina's body to erupt in shivers.

"Wh–what," Regina despised stammering. Curse Swan for making her do that.

Emma's hands came up to grip Regina's tightly where they were clutching the edges of Emma's blouse. Regina looked to their hands and was presented with Swan's décolletage.

Décolletage!

Regina felt the burn spread from the tips of her fingers to her core and was frightened by the fact that she didn't actually feel fear but arousal.

She had to escape.

Emma's heavy breaths landed on Regina's lips as she struggled between looking at Regina's eyes and lips. She inclined her head slowly, hands lessening their hold on Regina's. Emma hesitated centimeters from Regina's lips and her eyes cleared and locked on Regina's, waiting patiently for her permission.

Regina was floored by the gesture. She closed her eyes and that was all the affirmation Emma needed to press her lips against Regina's. She hurriedly pressed small kisses at the edges of Regina's lips before nudging Regina's nose.

Apparently Emma had trained this body well for Regina found her lips opening to let a small gasp escape. Emma pounced on the opportunity to capture Regina's lips once more and Regina found herself yanking Emma's blouse to force her to deepen the kiss.

"Mom!"

At the sound of Henry's voice, Emma and Regina both released their grips on each other as if they were scalded. Emma stood before Regina, chest heaving, while Regina summoned every last shred of her lady–like dignity to force herself to not shove Emma back onto the bed.

Madness!

Sheer, utter madness! Regina's voice screamed in her head.

"We need to go now!" Henry bellowed up the stairs and the sound of it spurred Regina in action.

"I would suggest donning a different shirt, Miss Swan," Regina regally strode past Emma.

"Wait!" Emma gripped Regina's elbow until Regina turned to look her in the eye.

Against her will, Regina's eyes dropped to Swan's chest. Filthy creatures, she reprimanded herself. I do not condone this. She was about to thoroughly reproach Emma but Henry's request echoed in her head. Regina cleared her throat. "We need to leave," she said and hoped that Emma would understand.

Emma looked hurt for a few moments so Regina was compelled to place her hand to Emma's cheek to calm her. Eyelids fluttering and a tremulous smile appearing, Emma nodded and released Regina to change into a less fancy shirt.

Which was what she better have been doing, Regina scowled as she and Henry sat in Swan's hideous mode of transportation. She had left Swan in the room nearly fifteen minutes ago and she and Henry wear fidgeting restlessly in the yellow beast. The little troll must have hidden Regina's keys so that she would have to endure not only Swan driving but the ignominy of being in the wretched vehicle. Swan was probably having herself a nice chuckle at Regina's distress.

"Finally," Henry moaned as Emma came out the door and spent a few moments fiddling with the lock. She opened the car door and casually started the engine, immune to the dual glares she received from Regina and Henry.

"Would you mind explaining yourself?" Regina scowled.

"Nope," Swan loftily replied as she began driving.

"Then you'd better be prepared to do so to your parents since I'm certainly not taking the fall for our tardy arrival," Regina sniffed.

"Definitely not," Swan answered.

"Mooooom, I'm gonna pass out from hunger in the middle of the game," Henry grumbled from the backseat. Regina let herself slither down in hers in the hopes no one would be able to take evidence of her drive of shame.

"Then we'll just have a short game," Emma replied shortly. Regina straightened in her seat slightly to gauge her reaction. Emma's face looked tight and pinched like she was struggling to control her anger.

Regina knew exactly how that looked.

She straightened her posture and moved her hand to Emma's thigh. When Emma turned to look at her, Regina merely stared straight ahead and said "Eyes on the road, Sheriff."

"Regina!"

The woman's zest for hugging was insatiable, Regina thought as Snow literally flung herself into Regina's arms. Regina clamped her hands to the side in an effort to not blast the hug–monster away and possibly crack her skull on the gravel or maybe even impale her on that rotted branch, it would really go well with the hideous cardigan Snow was wearing…

"C'mon, Mom, don't strangle Regina like that," Emma pried her mother off Regina who immediately straightened her shirt.

Emma had brought them to a stretch of forest that wasn't too far outside the city. The trees were a lovely autumn shade and Regina reveled in the crisp crunch of leaves under her feet. The weather was a nice temperature with only a mild breeze so she wasn't too worried about being cold, especially when David brought forth camouflaged jackets for them to wear.

"Oh, are you still the old Regina?" Snow inquired. The daft woman, Regina rolled her eyes. "Sorry."

"Well, now you know," Regina stiffly replied and shrugged on the thick jacket. Thankfully it didn't reek to the high heavens of sweat. She grimaced at the eyesore. It clashed terribly with her repulsive jeans. Apparently two wrongs did not make a right.

"Over here, Regina," Snow grasped Regina's hand without warning and dragged her to the back of David's pickup truck. She released Regina's captive hand to make a little jump and wriggled her body against the side of the vehicle until she produced a gun. "I'll give you a quick lesson."

"There's no need for a remedial course," Regina protested as David playfully began shoving her unwilling body after Snow.

"You don't remember playing this so we'll just give you a quick refresher course," Snow blithely waved away Regina's justified declarations.

"Are you telling me you'll pass up a chance to shoot Emma with paint?"

Regina twitched nervously at David's joke. She glanced back a ways to where Emma and Henry were checking the rest of the gear. Emma looked up at her and waved, her smile bright as the rising sun.

This brought back a wave of unpleasant memories and sensations.

"Give me that," Regina swiped the gun from Snow's hands. "What shall I target? It's loaded, right," she turned the gun over, effectively tarnishing her confident image. Whatever, she wanted to blast Swan's hideous image out of her head.

"Yes, it is," Snow laughed and pointed to a large oak tree twenty paces to their front. "Let's try hitting that tree."

Regina hefted the gun a little higher and peered down the barrel. She took careful aim and fired.

Snow covered her guffaw with a boisterous cough and David let out a full–on chortle. Regina lowered the barrel in order to let them see her full fury.

"Yeah, uh, wow," David managed. "That's about as good as Emma used to be with a sword. She would either charge like a lumberjack or just chuck it and pray."

Regina's mouth opened. "'Chuck it and pray'? Don't tell me that's how she defeated Maleficent," she looked back to see Emma and Henry strolling up to join her.

"I defeated Maleficent with nothing but pure, unadulterated skill," Swan lied.

"Your skill with a blade leaves much to be desired, honey," David cooed and ruffled Emma's hair. Emma glowered under his hand.

"I don't know about that," Regina airily quipped, sending a quick glance to Henry that caused Swan to stomp her foot in outrage. "That aside, I'm sure Sheriff Swan has no problem upholding the law with other means."

Snow sent Regina a nauseatingly sweet look. It reminded her of how Snow used to look at her, like Regina was the light of her world.

It made her uncomfortable.

"Emma may be the White Knight," Regina gagged on the title, "but here you are, defending her honour."

Regina hemmed and hawed for a moment under the adoring gazes of the two women she was deeply connected to. "I was under the impression that if Miss Swan had any honour to begin with, she would be up to the challenge of defending herself."

"Yeah!...wait," Emma frowned while Regina patted her arm in a conciliatory gesture.

"Fret not, dear, all is well," she reassured and Swan gave her a disbelieving look before focusing on a spot over Regina's shoulder.

"Ah, hell," she murmured.

"Emma," Snow sternly reproached her daughter before following her gaze. "Oh, hell."

Startled by the reactions, Regina turned to see another car pull up next to Emma's trash heap that posed as a safe mode of transportation. A man got out of the car and waved his hand in greeting. As he got closer, Regina noticed that he had the potential to be handsome if he wasn't so…scruffy. His smile was centered on Emma.

Regina disliked him immensely.

"What's up," was his way of polite greeting and he sidled up next to Emma and Henry and planted himself between the two of them, clapping a hand to Henry's shoulder.

"Neal, I told you _not_ to come," Swan griped as she edged away from him.

"Oops, I guess I must've just skimmed it," Neal shrugged carelessly.

The way Regina kept catching this Neal starting at her Emma was indecorous, to say the least. Did he not understand that Emma was leagues above him? After all, wasn't she married to Regina? Honestly, there wasn't anything higher up the ladder than that, Regina assured herself, and settled for an irate glare in his direction.

"Taking a few practice shots, Regina?" Neal addressed her and pointed to the gun hanging limply in her hand. "Emma didn't say you were a sharpshooter but that you enjoyed playing," and he gave her a pointed glance.

"Failure has leeched all enthusiasm from me," Regina dryly replied. "And just who might you be?"

Neal looked taken aback. "What do you mean?" He looked to Emma who shook her head in disappointment. "Oh," he finally laughed in understanding. "So it wasn't a joke just to get rid of me. You know I'll always…"

"This is Henry's father!" David quickly cut Neal off before he could utter what Regina dreaded was the Charming catch–phrase. He peered cautiously at Regina. Henry and Snow wore matching uncomfortable expressions.

An emotional void settled over Regina's features. "Henry's…father, you say?" She glanced at Emma who finally had the decency to look ashamed.

This… Neal…grinned cheekily and clapped a hand to Henry's back in classic male solidarity. "Emma's boyfriend?"

"Ex!" Emma hastily corrected and sent him a scathing look.

Regina inhaled deeply, imagining with each breath a clearer vision of her crushing his flesh into a fine paste.

"Any big plans for your birthday, Regina?" Neal keeps his arm around Henry who sighs, wise to the futility of such a request.

"Yes, well, you know me," Regina smiles with her teeth and is pleased to see a collective flinch, "nothing I love more than ruining hopes and dreams. As do you," she deadpans, gesturing to the group. "We had already assembled ourselves into teams before you sequestered yourself into our plans."

"No big deal," Neal waves a hand in the air as if wiping away her concerns. "I'll just swap with Emma and she can be on your team. No need for you two to be on opposing sides, building up unnecessary tension. Nobody needs to come upon you two rounding the bases behind the storage shed, getting Emma pre—" and he is cut off by receiving a vicious punch from Swan.

Ignoring the flush that crept up her cheeks and the awkward protests of Henry, Snow and David, Regina drawls "Yes, your generosity knows no bounds," she laughed in the mirthless way that was her custom.

"Mom," Henry warns, sidling up against her and escaping the little spat Swan and Neal had going on.

"Oh, he's just trying to be manipulative, dear," she scoffs, "I can tell. I do it, too."

"Please, you'll get to shoot at him and everything," Henry wheedled and Regina sighed forlornly.

"Do I really play nice with him?"

"Nope."

"Hmmmm, he's as annoying and antagonistic as your mother," Regina slips and only catches it when Henry grins brightly at her. "Swan," she corrects hastily. "They both seem to enjoy prodding my patience." Regina scowled as she kept boring holes at Neal and widened her destructive gaze to include Swan's sack of a body as well.

Snow and David were standing silently off to the side and were shooting sympathetic gazes toward Regina. She felt particularly charitable, given that Henry was leaning into her side, so she deigned to speak to them. "I take it you're no particular fans of the other half of Henry's genetic stock?"

David laughed and Snow attempted to hide her snicker for a moment before joining him. Most strange. "If you're implying that we wanted Emma to marry him, then, no. Neal's…a handful," she tactfully states and Regina wonders just how much she and Snow got along in this twisted vision. "It's something you should really discuss with Emma."

Turning back to said person, Regina exhaled loudly through her flared nostrils. Swan and Neal were now chatting amicably with each other and there was a special gleam in their eyes that simply set Regina ablaze. Neal must have felt her fiery glare for he turned slightly and smirked at her.

Regina began fuming at his superior smirk, an action that should be _hers_ alone. She strode forward to lay a possessive hand on Emma's back and by some dreadful twist of fate it landed on Emma's rear.

These things happen.

The look on Neal's face filled her with such triumph that she gave Emma a little pat on a job well done, since Regina clearly couldn't pat herself on the back, of course.

"I'm her wife and you're her fan," Regina whispered in an overly pleasant and clearly false tone as she led Emma away.

* * *

After everyone had gotten properly outfitted, they split into teams and Regina followed Henry as he led her and Emma into the field. He quickly explained the perimeter limits and basic rules but all Regina really cared about was if she could land more than one shot on Neal.

"Hey, what was that all about?" Emma's shoulder brushed against Regina's, bringing her out of her diabolical scheming mode.

Regina made a face. "Miss Swan. I've told you numerous times to make precise reports and inquiries."

Emma rolled her eyes. "This isn't a report, Regina," she corrected. "What you said to Neal. I _heard_ that, you know."

"Obviously, or you wouldn't be bothering me about it."

"Regina…" Swan slumped slightly.

"Simply put, if he continued to receive your attention I would have had no choice but to vanquish that unfortunate soul."

Henry chuckled and Emma smiled widely. Apparently they were unaware of the implications of Regina's statement. It had been some time since she took a heart but a more pleasing scenario involving her grinding his bones into dust settled in her mind.

"You're jealous," Swan teased.

"I am not, I know you're mine," Regina declared. She leveled Swan with a possessive gaze. "He just needs to know his place. I don't care that he's Henry's father, he ought to have the sense not to interfere with your decision by sending you such ardent looks."

Emma's smile softened. "Like the one you're giving me?"

Appalled, Regina stumbled over absolutely nothing in her path before righting herself. She wasn't about to let Swan swoop in to catch her again and have to endure another moment of Swan bragging that she got another notch in her Hero Belt.

"GO!"

"Down!" Emma tackled Regina to the ground upon hearing David's shout. Regina registered the sound of several paintballs whizzing near her.

"Were they stalking us? What underhanded tactics," Regina spewed a leaf out of her mouth.

"Covering fire!" Emma roared and began shooting her gun willy–nilly. Regina was sure she'd go through her ammunition before the match was done.

"This way!" Henry crawled to Regina and then gave a few shots himself and took off for a thicket of trees. Regina scrambled to get off the ground and sensed Emma do the same.

"Dodge, Regina!" Emma gave Regina a shove to the left. Regina nearly collided with a hardy tree.

Regina decided this future her was mad. Well, mad to enjoy this mockery of sport.

Henry led them to the edge of the perimeter before taking a moment to catch their breath. "Anybody get hit?"

"Regina did," Emma helpfully poked the seat of Regina's pants to indicate a splatter of paint.

"Does this mean I'm out?"

"Nope, this game we're playing by points, depending on how many clean shots are landed in the time period," Henry shook his head. "There's a good hiding spot on the other side that Grandma will probably be sniping from."

"Sniping?" Regina echoed, aghast, before remembering better. "Very good tactic. I suppose David makes himself the tank to draw our fire while she picks us off like fish in a barrel."

Emma laughed and readjusted her helmet. "Pretty much."

"And you're fine with this? You don't want to win?"

"It's family bonding," Henry explained and Regina tutted.

"Okay, so where is this hidey–hole," Emma whispered to Henry as they snuck closer to Snow's location.

"Right between those two really large trees," Henry pointed with his gun.

Emma squinted. "Where?"

"Over there." Henry gesticulated wildly, exasperation seeping into his voice.

"I don't see it."

"Are you deaf, mad _and _blind, Miss Swan!?" Regina cried incredulously. "It's situated right _there_, between the land and the sky!"

"Yeesh, Regina, you don't have to yell in my ear," Swan slammed her shoulder into Regina's. Regina refused to back down and shoved back. "And I'm not any of those, I don't know where you got that all from."

"You're deaf because you never listen to my advice, you're mad because you don't take it, and you're blind because you can't see a giant landmark right in front of you!" Regina dialed down the volume of her outburst.

A rustle sounded to the left of their location and the three of them trained their sights in the general direction of the sound. Several loaded moments pass without any further interruptions and Henry is the first to get to his feet. "You two stay here," he indicated with some fancy sign language that Regina somehow could comprehend. He stole into the bushes leaving Regina with a vigilant Emma.

"Stay down," Emma whispered as she began to rise. Swiveling her head around, Emma took baby steps to her left and Regina was left in repose on the ground. Regina scanned the area as well and a movement to her right caught her eye. She stretched to tap her hand against Emma's shoe. When Emma looked down Regina used her gun to point to the area she saw the movement from.

"Yaaaaahhhh!" Swan screeched an unholy battle cry and threw herself off the ground and fired round after round into the bushes until a voice cried out in surrender. Gravity quickly schooled Swan and she plopped onto the ground with a large thump.

"Swan!" Regina was far too worried to inject the appropriate amount of exasperation in her tone. "Are you injured?"

Grunting, Emma began to lift herself up. It was such a painful sight to behold that Regina helped her up lest she be subjected to such a pitiful sight longer. "Yea, I think so."

Giving her a critical once-over, Regina shook her and prepared her harsh reprimand. "Let's fracture reality and pretend you were paying attention." Steamrolling over Swan's eye roll, Regina lowered her voice to a dangerous level. "What was that spectacle? A rousing game of 'Let's Pretend We Know Parkour'?"

Trying unsuccessfully to hold back a groan, Emma rotated her right shoulder several times. The woman was so accident–prone that Regina had to wonder how she had survived this long. Regina ignored Emma's protests and put her hand on Emma's shoulder to get a closer inspection when she felt the vile creature on her left hand spring to life and spew out the most wonderful magic. The soft lilac–colored mist traversed across Emma's arm and all the way down to her injured hand, coiling around it for several seconds before amassing in a giant ball and then dissipating into several little butterflies.

"Butterflies?" Regina spluttered when she was once again capable of forming words. Not only did her magic activate without her own volition but it felt the need mock her by fluttering around her head. She swatted at the pesky wisps until they finally got the hint and disappeared completely.

"uhhh," Swan looked embarrassed. Serves her right, Regina thought sourly. She was positive Swan was to blame for this additional torture. "Thanks for healing me," she mumbled shyly and the sight of it forced Regina to consider the vile butterflies had taken to squatting in her stomach.

Regina didn't know what possessed her to lift her gun into firing position but she swiveled to Emma's side and fired off three rapid shots and felt an immense amount of satisfaction at the loud reverberations that followed indicating solid hits.

"Ouch, Regina, okay, I give up, too!" Neal choked out as he emerged from the bushes, gingerly rubbing his chest where the three shots had landed. David came stumbling out right after him, Emma's obvious victim, a series of nickel–sized marks dotting his rib cage.

"Oh, I hope I didn't hurt you," Regina coyly fluttered her eyelashes. "Much."

Neal only laughed and slung his meat–hook of an arm across Regina's shoulder. The move was far from okay but, like Emma, Neal laughed in the face of Regina's anger. To Regina's chagrin, the more she struggled, the more tightly he clamped his hand on her shoulder. He began to steer her towards where Snow was supposedly perched.

"I knew I could trust you," Neal whispered and Regina found herself relaxing under his arm. "So," he began in a louder voice, "are we going to celebrate? I'm sure Henry's captured Snow, too."

Regina raised her chin in pride. Of course Henry would be a master at this game. She certainly was. "Indeed, let us grab a drink while we reminisce about the good old days—known as the Charming clan massacre by few."

"Ha ha," Swan glowered as Regina and Neal turned to face her and give her their most dastardly grins.

"There you are," Henry's voice rang out and he and Snow emerged from behind a tree to Regina's left. Regina noted that Snow's helmet was off and there was a clean shot on her right arm of her jacket. Henry could have easily picked her off with a head–shot but was gentlemanly enough to pelt her on the shoulder instead. She swelled with pride and joy at the fruition of her years of raising him.

Neal finally released Regina from his hold to give Henry a high–five. "Looks like you guys beat us."

Henry grinned up at him. "Of course we won. I bet we whooped you. How many times was everyone hit?"

"The score was 9 to 3," Swan instantly said and caused everyone to gaze suspiciously at her. "What?"

"Really, Miss Swan? How could you possibly have kept score?"

Regina felt the dread rise in her at Swan's roguish expression. "I'm Emma Swan. I can score _anything_."

"Miss Swan!" Regina reprimanded at the same time as Snow.

"It's true," Neal agreed.

The branch he subsequently tripped over had nothing to do with Regina whatsoever.

* * *

Regina doubted she would ever know the reason she got up out of her bed in the middle of the night. The day of paintball and following activities at the arcade combined with a rather dicey game of Mario Kart with Snow, David and Neal at Regina's home had tired her out completely. When she and Emma parted for bed, Regina had felt no compunctions about slipping under the covers for what she hoped would be a deep rest.

Instead, Regina found herself perched atop the arm of the couch where Emma laid sprawled out in one of the most strange positions Regina had ever encountered in her life. Not even Henry could distort his body to such awkward angles. The posture was deplorable, Regina noted.

Emma had forgotten to turn off the lamp so the dim glow of it bathed her in its gentle light, illuminating her face which appeared to be covered in a restless countenance. This wouldn't do for the safety of the town if its Sheriff was unable to get her proper rest.

Regina brought the back of her hand to Emma's cheek to brush away a rogue curl. The action caused Emma's face to soften instantly. Her knuckles continued to traverse Emma's face, outlining the cheekbones, jaw, nose, eyelashes, lips, everything Regina could reach. The little demon on her left hand responded to each caress with a giant thrill. The action was soothing and Regina found her own eyelids drooping. A tickle at the back of her mind caused Regina to whirl around to face the doorway but found nothing there. She frowned. There was definitely something magical brewing in the air. Her hand found its way to hover protectively over Emma's heart.

"Regina?" Emma groggily came to.

Regina started and the action caused her hand to stamp itself on Emma. "How can you just snap back into consciousness like that?"

Emma shrugged as she stretched her body. Regina retracted her hand. "I told you I couldn't sleep without you."

"You cannot sleep _well_ without me," Regina hastily corrected and stood stiffly, straightening her hair out of habit. She made her way to the doorway before pausing and turning back to look at Emma. "Well, the couch obviously does terrible things to your already deplorable posture…" she leads off and Emma quickly grabs her pillow and blanket and bounds to Regina's side like a puppy. Regina cleared her throat and Emma smiled.

Ever since Miss Swan stumbled into Storybrooke, Regina had the burden of being on the receiving end of an unfortunate amount of Miss Swan's smiles. Personally, Regina found that the Sheriff smiled far too often and much too genuinely for them to mean anything. Yet there was something interspersed in Emma's smile this time, tenderness laced between her lips and something far more insidious peering out from under the flutter of her eyelashes that had Regina's stern façade melt and her hand twitch. Something _snapped_ in her core, energy erupting like a volcano, traversing throughout her body in such a way that she to consciously make herself breathe.

Regina closed her eyes.

When she opened them Regina was caught in a mixture of fear and a long–forgotten feeling. Idly she wondered how much time had passed, how long her hand had cupped Emma's cheek, how many breaths they had shares as their lips remained lightly pressed together, how man heartbeats were skipped under her hand that was lightly scratching at Emma's shirt. Regina couldn't begin to fathom how long her mind and body were frozen before the severity of the situation slammed into her like a slap.

Aghast at her second breach of impropriety, Regina stumbled backwards out of the embrace. Emma's eyes became wide and pleading as she visibly restrained herself from doing something rash, like launching herself towards Regina. "Regina…" she manages.

_Traitor! _Regina screamed at herself. Her body had betrayed her again, the disgusting, simpering thing! She was torn between tearing out of the room, running forever until Emma was naught but a distant memory and rushing back into Emma with her open arms and puppy eyes and safe caresses.

Her fear rooted her to the spot.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," Emma says gently, her eyes dark, movements light.

Horrified by Emma's knowledge of her feelings, Regina is spurred into action. Fear easily evaporates into anger, the barrier rising more slowly than she intended. She snaps out "Don't be ridiculous," with far less venom than she should.

Emma halts her cautious advance mere footsteps in front of Regina. "Muscle memory," she says at length.

Regina longs for Sheriff Swan, punches and glares, not this foreign facsimile of an unguarded woman before her. "What?" She manages to snap.

When Emma pouts slightly, a crinkle settling across her brow, Regina is painfully reminded of Henry and his words to her that morning and of days when love wasn't taken for granted, when she was his world. Even the world built on flimsy lies was preferable to this silence that screamed the truth at her. "I–it's when your body remembers things when your mind can't," Emma says haltingly.

Regina wants to mock her for stuttering. Harass her for knowing something despite her limited education. Then she remembers that she was the cause of those and countless more privileges denied to Emma and her words get lodged somewhere in her throat. "You really do believe me," comes from her mouth instead.

With a warm sigh, Emma's frown morphs into a smile Regina has only seen directed at her from the corner of her eye. "Of course I do," Emma says with such conviction that Regina needs to breathe more deeply. "Superpowers, you know," Emma adds lightly and Regina is ever so grateful, her own lips drawing up of their own accord.

Seemingly inspired by the gesture, Emma strides forward to grasp at Regina's hands and pulls them close to her face, enough so that the even, damp streams of her breath ghost Regina's knuckles. Regina lets her.

Emma's eyes lock with Regina's and her breath is stolen by the passion she sees in them. "You will never have to fear me again," she says slowly. Something burns in her eyes that ignite a flame in Regina's chest. "You are safe with me. I've told you, I will never leave you. Even if I'm gone, I will always return to you."

At those words both Regina's jaw and heart drop and she's assaulted by a spike of pain that emanates throughout her body, colours bleeding from the edges of her eyes and pooling in front of her as her vision blurs. She blinks and suddenly Emma is Daniel, _her Daniel._ Regina gasps, startled, aware of tears coursing down her eyes, the pleading look in Daniel's, _her hand encasing him in magic_.

This can't possibly be true.

She would _never_ use magic on Daniel.

His face contorts with pain, lips moving but Regina was unable to hear anything. To her abject horror her own mouth forms the words "Goodbye, Daniel."

And she kills him.

Black, red and white exploded in front of her eyes and her mind and body were locked in a silent scream that threaded to rend her body in two.

"Regina!"

Emma.

Emma's frantic cries yank Regina back from her nightmare. Slowly Regina become aware of her surroundings, her hands clutched desperately by Emma's, tears streaming down her face, a frightened expression played out across Emma's.

_Daniel_.

And then Regina couldn't fight it anymore. Her agony dropped her head to Emma's chest, settling firmly on her clavicle, assurances of Emma's words filing her with safety and anchoring her to the stable presence before her. Emma jumped slightly as Regina whispered "Daniel" against her skin but just as quickly as she did that she dropped Regina's hands, one arm wrapping around Regina's ribs, the other traveling under her hair to caress her neck.

After what seemed like hours, Regina was sure she had depleted an unhealthy percentage of water from her body. The gently embrace Emma had her in filled Regina with a drowsiness she could never recall feeling before. Her breathing seemed to even out with Emma's heartbeat, a strong murmur against Regina's forehead.

"_Then love again."_

No. That can't be right, Regina felt her eyes cross at Daniel's voice echoing in her head. It can't be true.

"I'm here, it's okay, you're safe."

Regina inhaled sharply. How long had Emma been saying that? She pulled herself up and away slightly to look in Emma's eyes, frighteningly bloodshot and red–rimmed. Regina felt all things drain from her as she stared at Emma. "Regina?" Emma inquired hesitatingly.

Regina's hand became tangled and limp in one of Emma's. Her listless gaze must have been understood for Emma led her up the stairs and into Regina's room and to the edge of her bed. When she tried to pull away, Regina's hand decided to grip back, startling them both.

"I," began Regina, still uncomprehending of her own actions. "Daniel…"She felt ashamed at her inability to form coherent sentences.

"I know," Emma says immediately. Regina frowns. "Don't blame yourself anymore. Both of you just wanted him to be free."

Regina's eyes widen as memories of a desire to be free press against the edges of her mind. She breathes instead and looks towards the bed and back to Emma. The smile begins in Emma's eyes and Regina surmises that's as good a place as any for things to start.

Emma settles onto the bed, encasing herself under the covers. Her arm holds them open as Regina, with copious amounts of trepidation, sidles up to Emma and the blanket drops as Emma's arm ensconces Regina. Regina's breath begins to jet against the soft warm skin at the juncture of Emma's neck and shoulder.

"_Then love again" _Daniel's voice echoes faintly, the rise and fall of Emma's chest in time with his words. They are slowly muted by the steady drum of Emma's heart and the heat from her embrace draws Regina's eyes shut.


	4. Chapter 4

**Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare**

Chapter Four

**Summary: **(Prequel to A Promise Kept) Apparently the only nightmare worse than Emma Swan killing her was the horror of living with her. Swan Queen.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the characters contained here within. This is meant for entertainment purposes and is not used for profit. I also do not own any of the many references in this story.

**Author's Note: **This is the prequel to A Promise Kept, and will be written in conjunction with it. Names are used intentionally, like in APK. The tone of this story is lighter, to balance out APK, although there will be a fair deal of serious parts. Many things will eventually crop up in APK and the plot of this story will be integral to the relationships Regina develops in APK and its sequel, most notably hers with Emma. This story takes place during the events of 2.01 'Broken.'

**Chapter Note:** Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and alerts! They mean so much to me, as is your continued support! I love to read your thoughts. _A Promise Kept_ includes heavy allusions to this story. That being said, welcome to the last chapter. Sadness, so I tossed in some Swan Queen sexy-times. How awful for everyone. I had _so_ much fun with this story and I'm heartened by the dedication shown to it. Please head on over to APK to continue this story. The third part will be released in January or February 2013 by my estimations and that will detail the events leading up to Regina's Most Dreadful Nightmare, including Swan Queen becoming official. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me on FFN or ask a question on my Tumblr account!

Otherwise, this chapter will answer any lingering questions about how Regina landed in the future and will show you where _A Promise Kept_ got its title.

All my love.

* * *

If Emma Swan thought she could canoodle with Regina Mills whenever she pleased, she had another thing coming.

For one, Emma was _Regina's_, not the other way around. This meant that _Regina_ could use Emma as her own personal teddy if she so desired, which she most certainly did not. This did not give Swan license to fling herself on top of Regina while they slept nor to have clamped her arms around Regina in a most undesirable vice–like grip.

All magic comes with a price.

The price of a decent rest was being forced to deal with Swan's parasitic attachment to Regina's admittedly wonderful body.

Regina hates magic, but more than that, she hates how much she loves it.

Swan's muffled garbles strike uncomfortably against Regina's neck.

"Swan." Regina is stiff as a board.

Another unintelligible response that Swan can actually chalk up to being mostly unconscious.

Still unacceptable.

"Emma," Regina growls but is hesitant to shove Swan off. She would be unable to get a decent handhold on anything, what with the way Swan was draped over her body.

"M' pillow's talkin'….s'trouble…." Swan mumbled and drooled slightly on Regina.

Regina gagged before committing a self–induced seizure. "EMMA!"

Her roar roused Swan to the point of her tilting her head so that her eyelashes began fluttering underneath Regina's jaw, tickling her with their rapid movements.

"I dun wanna go ta werk," Swan blearily huffed and settled for increasing her grip on Regina and made her legs capture Regina's own.

Imprisoned in her own bed, Regina was learning to take each disappointment and nightmare in stride. "How you immediately wakened last night by nothing more than a slight touch of my hand is beyond me. Stop whining and get off me, you have a duty to your people."

Swan grunted and shook her head, causing the waves of her hair to fall across Regina's clavicles, sending a trail of fire in their wake. Regina resigned herself to yet another hardship of her seemingly endless nightmare.

"Princess. Saviour. Sheriff."

Each title caused Emma to bury her nose further into Regina.

Regina was not pleased. Her sternal notch was not created for Emma's nose.

"Rise," Regina commanded in her most regal tone.

Emma stilled and that was the first clue that Regina received that perhaps she should have taken more care in choosing her words. First, Emma's arms slithered off of Regina's body in a most wretched fashion before Emma rolled her hips to position herself above Regina. Regina was distracted from life by being mesmerized by the way the curls of Emma's hair fell off her shoulders.

"There," Emma husked and Regina was stricken with the idea of brushing a fallen strand of hair from Emma's face. So she did. Emma leaned into Regina's hand as if were some safety flotation device, sent to save her from the sea of reality.

Ha, Regina smirked to herself, as if Emma could be the only Saviour.

Then Swan had to go and ruin all of Regina's fun by sending her _that look_. Emma would flutter her eyelashes several times as if they were the cogs grinding to create that iridescent smile that followed. Her beauty was ineffable when she did this and Regina was incensed that it never ceased to fill her with longing every time it happened.

Perhaps that's why Emma did it.

Basically, Regina told herself, she wasn't to blame for the effect it had on her. That's what made her death–grip on the sheets release and cause her to snake her left hand up Emma's neck, traversing its way into her hair. Emma sighed like Regina had just bestowed upon her the joy of transcendent bliss.

For all Swan knew, Regina very well could have. She was talented like that.

Taking her sweet time, Emma leaned down and spoke against Regina's lips, each word a tantalizing torture in their sick mockery of a kiss. "I can't get enough of your scar," she purrs, the words vibrating against Regina's lips. She had the audacity to accentuate her factual statement by running the tip of her tongue along the length of the scar.

How dare she pull out such a seductive move, Regina inwardly seethed while her traitorous body overcompensated for her desires by propelling itself toward Emma. Regina shut that down and forced an apathetic posture.

Seduction was _Regina's_ forte. Clearly, she would have to amplify her efforts. She would not desist until the expression on Emma's face was of one who was thoroughly had.

The first step would be to reflect Swan's brazen tactics.

"I never tire of hearing accolades for this facial bane," Regina allowed her bottom lip to drop slightly more than needed, causing it to stick momentarily against Emma's before returning to its proper smirk. Emma seemed so troubled by the maneuver that her whole body trembled.

As if she could resist the true master of seduction. Regina's smirk was not in the least conceited.

Swan's retaliation for Regina's checkmate was to rear back and yank Regina's wrists forward and slam them back against the bed, effectively pinning Regina down.

Regina had to remind herself not to desire a pat–down.

"Why am I not surprised that you love to hear about yourself?"

"Only praises, dear," Regina corrected and allowed her satisfaction to grow at Swan's impatience. Apparently Swan was used to Regina melting under her scorching gaze or some such nonsense. Swan would have to work for whatever she got because Regina wasn't into the whole charity business.

Swan renewed her passionate glare–gaze like it was some sort of winning combo. Regina made an ostensive move by licking her lower lip and scored yet another point.

Then the doorbell rang and Emma dropped her head to Regina's shoulder and openly wept. "Why does this always happen to me?" Swan lamented and she lifted her head to meet Regina's gaze.

Swan looked so stupidly hurt that Regina was compelled to console her. "There, there, dear. The only thing wounded was your libido."

"I'm quite fond of that," Swan grumbled and dug the heel of her hand into her eyes. Regina was filled with such exquisite agony at Emma's distress it broke her face into a smile. "Oh, crap."

"What has crapped on your parade?" Regina busied herself by running her hand through Emma's hair to de-tangle it. Her other hand went rogue.

"Today's the stupid fair," Emma dropped her head to murmur her words against Regina's neck. Regina refused to stroke Emma's ego by reacting.

"Fair for what? Saviour Day?" Regina choked back a giggle when Emma's fingers began to tickle her ribs. She committed a most grievous error by gripping Emma tighter to her body instead of shoving Emma off. Regina was losing sight of her true objective.

Regina slackened her grip on Emma. What was her objective? Her hands continued to ghost over Emma's body of their own accord, Emma's giggles searing themselves into the thin skin above Regina's sternum. She was becoming distracted by Emma, that's what was happening. Regina wasn't supposed to be here, in bed, in the future, with Emma Swan, flirting as if it made her happy.

"No, it's the 'Showcase Your Hidden Talents and Try and Pawn it Off' fair," Emma finally answered and relented her assault on Regina, drawing back to rest herself on her legs.

Strange, Regina thought. Emma was sitting on her but there was hardly any pressure. It was almost as if Emma was taking extra care not to hurt her, to make sure Regina was safe.

The memory of the events of the previous night caused Regina to draw in a short breath which she covered up quickly by engaging Emma in conversation. "Talent is such a strong word," Regina drawled and it elicited a laugh from Emma.

"Yeah, well, my mom is probably here to pick you up. You two coordinate it every year," Emma explained further but made no move to get off Regina.

This pleased Regina little. Trapped under Swan, only to be released to be trapped with Snow while dealing with the common folk. Regina would probably have to pretend they were skilled and be forced to dish out platitudes.

"Regina? You look like you're going to lose consciousness again," Swan started fanning Regina's face. Regina would have none of that and swatted Swan's hands away, the latter presuming it to be some sort of childish foreplay and began batting hands with Regina.

"Hmph, I care so little I almost passed out," Regina mumbled. She could hear Snow's cheerful chattering floating up the steps and resigned herself to another day of birds, puppies and rainbows. For Henry.

"Hey, maybe if you feign illness I can stay home with you," Swan waggled her eyebrows and Regina was mildly impressed that she picked up advanced vocabulary skills. Obviously they must have transferred from Regina's tongue.

This was most certainly a trap and Regina was the spider, not the fly. Taking advantage of her prey's false sense of security, Regina thrust her hips up and rolled, tossing Swan off the bed. She landed with an ungainly squawk and a flushed face and Regina flipped into survival mode.

"That is _so_ not fair!" Swan pounded the floor in a prelude to a temper tantrum before scrambling toward Regina.

Regina squealed as she bolted out of her room, Swan giving chase. Regina nearly crashed and burned down the spiral staircase but prevailed and earned flying colours while Swan was not so lucky and cursed as she skidded into the railway. Pausing to make sure Swan wasn't crippled, Regina realized she had a smile screwed onto her face that was probably visible from every angle.

"There you two are!" Snow stood at the foot of the stairs, Henry next to her, with her hands on her hips like some sort of matron. Regina stuck her tongue out at Snow out of spite. The little minx had the audacity to reciprocate in kind. "Regina, we're going to be late! And Emma! I hope you don't get any internal bleeding." The snort that left Regina's nose was entirely unintentional.

Snow beamed up at Regina and held two coffee cups in her hands, bouncing on her heels and wiggling her fingers around the cups. Regina sincerely hoped that the one designated for her wouldn't spill over. Or maybe it would be best if it did slosh a little and crisped the fingertips of Snow so that she couldn't feel things for several days. Regina inwardly cackled with dark amusement.

"C'mon, Regina! Neal's already setting up our booth!"

Regina's amusement dwindled alongside her spiral into mental anguish.

* * *

Regina wanted to set herself on fire. Not only did she have to endure Swan slobbering on her but then she was forced to sit through an agonizingly long drive to City Hall with Snow and her merry, chipper and obnoxiously endearing babbling. First she talked about the fair and how the townsfolk loved it and what great fun she and Regina had planning it, and oh, of course not, Regina, we didn't braid each other's hair or paint our toenails but we baked cookies, Emma's favourite, you're always so sweet to her, and blah blah blah.

Now Regina had to witness the father of her son and her wife's ex–lover attempt to construct an awning on the booth she and Snow were to occupy for the duration of the day so they could exchange pleasantries with the people passing through. Was there no end to her suffering, Regina internally bemoaned.

"Hey, Snow, Regina!" Neal waved an arm exuberantly and Regina cursed her mind for seeing the similarities to Henry. "I don't know what's up with this cloth, Snow, but it refuses to work for me. Maybe Regina can get it to work?" With that said, Neal unleashed some sort of lusty smile at Regina and he sat down on top of the booth and posed like a pin–up girl.

"Details of your incompetence do not interest me," Regina huffed as she stalked to the booth, Snow latching onto her arm. As if Regina could possibly escape this mad–house maze of shoddy booths that littered her once precious and well–kept lawn in front of City Hall. People were beginning to congregate the area and Regina swallowed the bile in her throat enough to wave back and smile when greetings were sent her way.

"Awww, still not back to your old self? Or is it your future self?" Neal pondered. A futile attempt, Regina thought charitably. Regina held the firm belief that additional head trauma occasionally solved initial defects.

"You've just got it backwards, Neal," Snow unknowingly interceded. Preventing Regina from the pursuit of scientific inquiry, that was certainly a new low, even for her. Regina was sure to remember this.

"Oh, okay, I thought you were going for some neo–hipster style," Neal joked and Snow instantly fell prey to his boyish charms. It was a good thing Regina had immunity. She would not allow herself to be swayed when it looked like he was going to ingratiate himself further into the family. That was Regina's job and she had years of class over his of kiss–ass.

Regina swiftly discarded her empty cup next to Neal and went to the task of fixing the awning. He probably did a poor job on purpose, Regina mulled as she flipped the cloth to its proper side and affixed it securely to the booth. "Excellent. Now the light of day won't burn our flesh."

Neal and Snow laughed at Regina's statement. She was confused; was the truth secretly hilarious?

What was truly hilarious was the way Regina's mind slowly shattered into a million pieces as the morning dragged on. Apparently there were no secrets between her and Snow and their relationship was restored had advanced to some brand–spanking new higher level. This meant that Regina got to enjoy the thrill of girl–talk with Snow while having the joy of on–going commentary from the peanut gallery. Regina had no idea how her future self hadn't gone bonkers if she 'hung out' nearly daily with Snow. Emma was tolerable, if only because Regina could kiss her. Add to that all the townsfolk signing up at their booth and talking amicably with Regina…well, she couldn't fathom the happiness she felt when she sensed Emma had arrived.

"What's that, Regina?" Neal cupped a hand to his ear and leaned toward Regina. "Timmy fell down the well again? Emma's here?"

The boiling point Regina had was usually quite high, her iron–will nearly unbreakable. Neal began scanning the area for Emma eagerly and Regina felt the lid blow off on her self–control. Regina was assured of Emma's devotion but it would seem that Neal needed to be taught a lesson not to interfere with that which was rightfully Regina's. He may have been a crook that desecrated her Emma but he gave her Henry. Regina could not begrudge him of that. She knew Emma was his, once upon a time. She saw how they would look at each other. However, Emma was _always_ to be Regina's to love. If Snow hadn't put her in that infernal wardrobe, Regina would have raised Emma herself. It just so happened to have worked out even better this way. She got to love Emma in a way she never thought possible, plus she got Henry who was the shining star in the travails of her existence.

Snow spoiled Regina's sinister machinations by laying a gently hand on Regina's forearm. "Regina," she warned with a hint of a smile.

Regina patted Snow's hand. "Nothing permanent will befall him."

"Does that include mental scarring?"

"No promises."

Snow laughed.

"Hey, there she is. Looks like she got swindled into helping fix Granny's booth," Neal pointed in the direction Regina already knew Emma to be located in. The foul ring was some sort of homing beacon and Regina had no doubt she could close her eyes and the blasted thing could lead her to Emma every time.

Regina scooted her chair back and scowled as Neal copied her. She began a brisk power walk towards Emma, followed closely by Neal, and by some crazy random happenstance the edge of the nearby booth was positioned just so that Neal obviously experienced an unfortunate case of spatial dissonance. He had no further use of that appendage, anyway.

Snow stepped up to the plate like a pro and sent Regina a thumbs–up as she fawned over Neal. Perfect. She had finally proved her worth. Regina turned her healthy stroll into her trademark strut and took only a second to stare at Swan crouching down at Granny's booth. She had removed her surprisingly tasteful jacket (an item no doubt obtained for her by Regina) so that the view of her tank–top wasn't obscured. How that continued to be alluring and feminine eluded Regina. She ignored Granny's knowing look. Her traitorous mouth began a smile when Swan emitted a victorious grunt and the booth wobbled before settling down again, Granny giving it a shake to test its sturdiness.

"I doubt I shall ever tire of watching you perform manual labour," Regina drawled, feeling her satisfaction increase as Swan straightened up with a sullen glare. Allowing herself a moment to admire the definition before her afforded Regina a crisp mental stamp of the curve of Emma's arms. It would surely tide her over while she was forced to deal with the peasants. "It's strangely alluring," she husked in a tone she knew affected all life–forms.

Swan did not disappoint.

Screw the peasants.

"Having fun with my mom and Neal?" Emma sarcastically asked and shrugged into her jacket. The metal of the zipper glinted in the sunlight and Regina could not be held responsible for where her gaze settled.

"Everything hurts and I'm dying," Regina declared. She glanced at Granny's booth to see an assortment of miniature wooden toys lined up. She squinted at a pair of toys that looked suspiciously like a ludicrous effigy of her. And Swan. That one was not so far–fetched. "Nice detail on the jacket," Regina snickered and Swan cuffed her lightly on the shoulder before she began to drag Regina back towards Snow and Neal. This would not do. Drastic measures were needed.

Regina faked an instance of depth perception failure.

As expected, Swan swooped in to protect Regina's clothes from being tarnished by grass–stains and Regina relaxed into the embrace with a grace all princesses would be envious of. It was child's play to feign a sprained ankle, and a pained moan uttered into the shell of Swan's ear was all that was needed for Emma to scoop Regina into her arms and make haste to her vehicle.

Regina scowled as they drew closer to the wretched thing but felt it lift instantly when she heard Henry call her name. Emma turned them around as Henry raced up to greet them.

"Mom, are you hurt?" Henry looked so concerned that Regina was sorely tempted to admit to the ruse.

"She'll be alright with me," Emma answered with a reassuring squeeze.

"I just need to rest for a bit," Regina assured, knowing that Henry and Emma could tell when she lied. Henry continued to stare at her and Regina felt like her head became a ball of fuzz.

"Okay, Mom, I love you," Henry whispered and he leaned forward to place a kiss against Regina's cheek.

Regina couldn't find the strength to turn her head to hide her tears as Emma drove her home.

* * *

Emma insisted on carting Regina into her home like she was some sort of invalid and Regina had to swallow her pride. It was made easier by the way Emma rubbed her thumbs down the side of Regina's face to erase the tracks left by her tears.

"Thank you," Regina curled a little more into Emma.

Emma's arms tightened around Regina and the sensation sent a pleasurable thrill through Regina's body. And then, softly, so that it was a whisper of a whisper, Emma breathed "Anything for you."

The words resound in Regina, and settle somewhere in her heart. They traversed slowly throughout her body and chimed in her head. The ring on her finger throbbed and Regina finally recognized the feeling. She drew back from Emma's neck and Emma slowly helped her to a standing position. Regina focused on the way her heart skipped when Emma used the back of her hand to brush the hair from Regina's face. The action was hypnotic and if Regina didn't know better, she would think that Emma had magic, too.

_Love…__**true love**__…is magic._

Regina's own words echo throughout her head and the intensity of her feelings began to choke her. She looked up to see a strength in Emma's eyes. Emma remained silent, gnawing at her bottom lip. She smiled slightly and her eyes became warmer with the action. Regina arched forward and pressed her lips against Emma's. Something sparked inside Regina and she closed her eyes tighter when a gust of wind released from her and Emma's bodies.

Regina pulled back quickly and Emma was already smiling at her tremulously. Instead of rearing back to backhand herself, Regina's ring propelled her hand forward to settle above Emma's heart, the rapid beating causing the ring to glow with each thump below it.

This would mean that Daniel's words had been taken to heart by her future self. The body her mind was trapped in had been screwing with Regina's mind so that she now felt things towards Emma. Regina found that she no longer hated Snow or David, and could even tolerate Neal. Her love for Henry had increased beyond her wildest dreams and she discovered that harbored amorous feelings for Emma Swan. The woman had showed Regina how much she understood and accepted Regina, despite her pesky nature and frequently insufferable attitude. Regina realized that she had a family. She dropped to her knees as a wave of pain crashed over her.

Regina felt as though her soul was being ripped from her body, agonizing in its pace, excruciating in her chest as Emma's eyes welled.

Emma knelt and gripped Regina's arms fiercely, anchoring her to this reality. A traitorous wetness pooled behind Regina's eyelids as Emma's hand trailed a gentle caress across her cheek. "Promise me on thing, Regina."

Without her consent, Regina replied "Of course, Miss Swan."

A reluctant crinkle formed at the edges of Emma's eyes at the formality. "Don't forget."

Regina's brow wrinkled, confusion wiping away at the pain coursing through her veins. "I beg your pardon?"

Emma's eyes locked on Regina's. They skittered across Regina's face, her lips, as if committing every minute detail to memory. The action caused Regina's heart to unclench in the most pleasant of ways, waves of it spreading all the way to the tips of her toes.

"Remember me this way," Emma implored and Regina found herself reflecting Emma's probing gaze with a strange sort of desperation.

This time, when Emma kissed her, it was with no trepidation. With each breath ghosting her face, Regina felt a bit of her body drifting away, until Emma pulled back reluctantly, her lips tenderly enfolding Regina's bottom one as her tears dropped between them.

"I promise."

The feel of Emma's hands on her cheeks began to fade away, leaving a dull ache in her heart. Regina could feel her eyelids start to droop and she forgot the exact hue of Emma's eyes. There was a searing pain on her left ring finger that burned hotter than anything Regina could remember feeling. She closed her eyes completely.

Regina eyes opened to take in a blurred form moving rapidly towards her. The cement was far too harsh under her fingers, cold seeping into the spaces between her fingers, a chill from the absence from the warmth of another's.

"Regina!"

Regina tried not to look as susceptible as she felt at Emma's frantic cry, really tried not to lean into a strangely familiar safety that Emma's body exuded when she reached Regina's side.

If Emma noticed, she said nothing, apart from gripping Regina's forearm a bit tighter as she helped Regina up.

The Wraith, Regina recalled. It had been sucking her soul…Regina frowned. The sounds of David, Snow and Emma became muted as she leaned her head against the bars of the cell. She blocked them out as she stared hard at the floor. There was a strange itch on her finger and something unfamiliar was thrumming under her skin. It felt like magic but Regina was unable to get a clear read on it. She just couldn't seem to pin her thoughts down.

It irritated Regina, her thoughts slipping away from her. There was something she was to remember. She was sure of it.


End file.
